Washer-dryer having a drain pump with vent means



April 13, 1967 5. w. NEUMANN ETAL 3,314,255

WASHERDRYER HAVING A DRAIN PUMP WITH VENT MEANS Filed Oct. 22, 1965 4Sheets-Sheet 2 April 18, 1967 3.w. NEUMANN ETAL. 3,314,255

WASHERDRYER HAVING A DRAIN PUMP WITH VENT MEANS Filed Oct. 22, 1965 I 4Sheets-Sheet 3 A April 13, 1967 e. w. NEUMANN ETAL 3,314,255

WASHER-DRYER HAVING A DRAIN PUMP WITH VENT MEANS Filed Oct. 22, 1965 4Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent 3,314,255 WASHER-DRYER HAVING ADRAIN PUMP WITH VENT MEANS Gerhard W. Neumann and Vincent C. Mandarino,Jr.,

both of St. Joseph, Mich assignors to Whirlpool Corporation, acorporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 501,714

4 Claims. (Cl. 68-20) This invention relates to washer-dryer apparatusof the vacuum extraction type and more particularly to improved fluidpump means for removing liquid from the apparatus.

In such an apparatus there is provided vacuum circuit means comprising acontainer, fluid conduit means therefrom, vacuum creating means in theconduit means and fluid separating means in the conduit means.

One of the features of this invention is to provide an improved fluidpump means of simple design for drawing fluid from the vacuum circuitryof a washer-dryer apparatus in combination with an air lock preventingfluid vent means between the interior of the pump means and the fluidseparating means.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description of one embodiment thereof taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings. Of the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic view of a washer-dryer laundry deviceincluding a pump means embodying the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of one side of the pump housingcontaining the inlet and the outlet of the pump.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional View take-n substantially along line 3--3 ofFIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational View of the pump impeller.

FIGURE 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on a diameter of theimpeller of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a side elevational view showing the other side of the pumphousing which is constructed to function as a back-up plate for theimpeller.

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 77 of FIGURE6.

FIGURE 8 is a diametric sectional view of the pump assembly of theinvention.

FIGURE 1 illustrates a washer-dryer laundry device including the pumpmeans of this invention which is ideally suited for operation in such adevice.

The schematic view of FIGURE 1 shows a combination washer-dryerembodying the invention. The structure shown in this view comprises arotatable drum 10 having a perforated metal periphery 11. The drum isrotated by an electric motor 12 having a shaft 13 projecting from eachend thereof. The shaft at one end drives a belt system 14 which rotatesthe drum 10 and the shaft at the other end drives a turbine pump 15. Thepump is provided with an inlet 16 and an outlet 17 leading to a drain.

The drum is rotated in a counterclockwise direction as indicated by thearrow 18. The drum is contained within a housing or tank 19. Theapparatus is supplied with water through an inlet mixing valve 20provided with a hot water line 21 and a cold water line 22. Leading fromthe valve 20 is a water line 23 that empties into a detergent dispenser24. Leading from the dispenser 24 is a liquid line 25 emptying into thetank 19 at 26. There is also provided a rinse conditioner dispenser 27and a bleach dispenser 28. These are connected to the tank 19 by lines29 and 30, respectively.

At the bottom of the tank 19 at the lowest point there- 3,314,255Patented Apr. 18, 1967 'ice in is a sump 31 having an exit controlled bya solenoid operated valve 32 with the sump leading to a button trap 33adapted to trap and remove small foreign objects from the exit liquidline. The trap 33 is connected to the pump inlet line 16 by means of aliquid line 34.

The apparatus includes a motor operated suction blower 35 that has aninlet passage 36 that is connected to a fluid separator 37 at the bottomof the apparatus for separating liquid from air. This separatorcommunicates by way of a passage 38 with a suds trap and condenser box39 where suds are trapped and moisture vapor is condensed. This sudstrap 39 in turn communicates with a nozzle 40 that normally bearsagainst the periphery of the rotatable drum 10.

The suction blower 35 has an outlet passage 41 that empties into thetank 19 so that the passage 41 communicates with the perforate periphery11 of the drum 10. Located in this exit passage 41 is an electric heater42.

The cold water inlet line 22 is provided with a branch 43 leading to thecondenser box 39 with cold water flowing through the line 43 beingcontrolled by a valve 44. Water is introduced into the condenser box 39during extraction and drying portions of the cycle to condense vaporduring these portions of a cycle.

The turbine pump 15 has an air bleed or vent line 45 leading fromadjacent the pump outlet 17 to the interior of the separator 37 at apoint above the normal water level therein.

During the operation of the washer-dryer combination shown in FIGURE 1water enters through inlet valve 20 and flows through line 23 throughthe detergent dispenser 24. It picks up the detergent in this dispenserand the mixture flows through line 25 into the tank 19 at 26 and fromthere into the perforated drum 10 and wets the clothes (not shown)therein. The clothes are then tumbled in the detergent solution in aconventional manner for a period of time sufficient to complete awashing operation.

Following the wash portion of the cycle the detergent solution isdrained from the machine through sump valve 32 and rinse water is addedin a conventional manner to perform a rinsing operation.

Immediately following the rinse portion of the cycle the sump valve 32is energized to open position with the excess water being drawn from thetank 19 during this pump out portion of the cycle by the continuouslyoperating turbine pump 15 while the drum 10 is continually rotated totumble the fabrics.

There follows an extraction portion of the cycle during which the blower35 is operated at high speed, such as 18,500 rpm, to create high airflow through the fluid system of the washer-dryer. Since the suctionblower 35 is upstream of the nozzle 40, a vacuum is created in the fluidsystem of the machine whenever fabrics being laundered tumble to aposition covering nozzle 40. This is so because when fabrics cover thenozzle the air flow in the system is temporarily blocked and due to thehigh speed of blower 35 the air between nozzle 40 and blower 35 israpidly evacuated creating a vacuum. The vacuum thus produced withdrawsliquid on and within the fabrics being laundered through the perforateperiphery 11 of the drum 10. During the extraction portion of themachine cycle the heater 42 is energized to vaporize moisture within thefabrics and condenser water is being added to condenser box 39 tocondense this vapor. The liquid extracted from the fabrics, and thecondenser water are separated from air in the fluid separator 37.

Following extraction the machine enters the drying portion of the cycle.The blower 35 continues to operate for the remainder or drying portionof the cycle but at a lower speed such as 12,500 rpm. The heatercontinues to be energized and condenser water continues to be introducedto condenser 39.

As is shown in the pump parts views of FIGURES 2-7 and the pump assemblyof FIGURE 8, the pump is of simple design yet because of the improvedmeans for preventing air locks the pump functions efficiently even whenconstructed to loose tolerances.

As is shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 8 the pump 15 has a housing 47 with oneside 48 of the housing containing both the pump inlet 49 and the pumpoutlet 50. The interior of the pump at this side is provided with anarcuate pump chamber 51 that extends from the inlet 49 to the outlet 50through an arc of approximately 180. About the first one-half 52 of thisarc is at a substantially constant radius about the center point 53. Theremainder 54 of the chamber is of progressively decreasing radius to theoutlet 50. Thus the annular pump chamber 51 has an exit portion 55 thatis closest to the center 53 communicating directly with the out-let 50.

Located radially inwardly of this exit portion 55 is a vent connection56 that will be described in greater detail hereinafter.

The impeller 57 for the pump 15 is shown in FIGURES 4, and 8. Thisimpeller is provided with a circular skirt 58 and a series of spacedcurved blades 59. If desired, the skirt '58 can be omitted withoutimpairing the functioning of the pump.

The other side 60 of the pump housing is shown in FIG- URES 6, 7 and 8.As is shown in FIGURE 8, this other side functions as a back-up platefor the impeller 57. This side of the housing is provided with threethreaded mounting bosses 61 which may be used to mount the pump on motor12.

As is shown in FIGURES 1 and 8, the vent connection 56 is connected tothe vent line 45 which leads to the separator 37 at a point above thenormal liquid level therein.

The pump 15 is a turbine pump and operates throughout the cycle ofmachine operation. The inlet 49 of the pump is connected to the line 16which leads to the separator 37 and which also communicates with thesump 31 by way of the trap 33. The outlet 50 of the pump 15 is connectedto the drain conduit 17.

The air bleed line 45 previously described communicates with theinterior of the pump 15 in order to prevent air locks. Thus any air orsuds entrapped within the the pump interior are immediately drawn fromthe interior of the pump through the bleed line 45 and into theseparator 37 because of the suction therein provided by the suctionblower 35 during extraction and drying portions of the machine cycle.

The inlet 49 to the pump 15 as shown in FIGURE 1 is substantially at thelowest point in the pump and is at the lowest point in the fluidcircuit. Thus the liquid and suds drain into the pump entrance bygravity to nullify any air lock problem during washing and rinsingoperations.

However, air lock is a somewhat greater problem during extraction anddrying portions of the cycle. Because during these portions of the cyclethe pump is required to operate against an almost continuous vacuum inthe separator 37, the liquid including water and suds cannot drain bygravity to the pump entrance. Under these conditions a close tolerancepump would normally be required. However, because any tendency towardair lock is relieved by the air bleed line 45, there are likewise no airlock problems even during these conditions. Thus, again, a pump withvery close tolerances is not required and the tolerances can be quiteloose. Any air or suds trapped in the arcuate pump chamber isimmediately drawn from the chamber by the vacuum in the separator 37with this air being drawn by way of the air bleed line 45.

The apparatus of this invention is particularly adapted to solving theproblem of pumping liquid against varying head conditions within avacuum extraction combination washer-dryer. The vent means for the pumpis so arranged that regardless of the head against which the pump mustact, if liquid is present to be pumped, the pump will be etfective toaccomplish the desired result.

Having described our invention as related to the embodiment disclosed inthe accompanying drawings, it is our intention that the invention be notlimited by any of the details of description, unless otherwisespecified, but rather be construed broadly within its spirit and scopeas set out in the accompanying claims.

The embodiment of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed is defined as follows:

We claim:

1. In a washer-dryer: a rotatable container for receiving wet fabrics;suction conduit means communicating with the interior of said container;fluid separator means connected to said suction conduit means forseparating liquid from air passing through said suction conduit means;suction means in said suction conduit means for causing air and liquidto flow through said separator means from fabrics within said container;pump means including an outlet for discharging liquid from said fluidseparator means; and vent means interconnecting the interior of saidpump means and said fluid separator means for venting fluid from saidpump interior to said fluid separator to preclude air locking of saidpump means.

-2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said vent means communicates withsaid pump interior at an area thereof adjacent said outlet.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said pump means comprises a turbinepump with said vent means communicating with said pump interior at anarea thereof adjacent and radially inwardly of said outlet.

4. In a vacuum extraction washer operable through a liquid extractingoperation, a suction nozzle for withdrawing liquid from fabrics duringsaid extracting operation, a suction unit for applying subatmosphericsuction to said suction nozzle during said extracting operation, asuction conduit interconnecting said suction nozzle and said suctionunit, a fluid conduit in communication with said suction conduit, acentrifugal pump in said fluid conduit for removing liquid entering saidfluid conduit during said extracting operation, and gas bleed meansinterconnecting said suction conduit and said centrifugal pump toprovide a subatmospheric vent for withdrawing gas from said centrifugalpump during said extracting operation to thereby preclude air-locking ofsaid centrifugal pump.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,635,447 4/1953Van Dornick 68-20 3,018,650 1/1962 Schmidt 68-208 X 3,231,909 2/1966Candor 68-19 X WILLIAM I. PRICE, Primary Examiner.

1. IN A WASHER-DRYER: A ROTATABLE CONTAINER FOR RECEIVING WET FABRICS;SUCTION CONDUIT MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID CONTAINER;FLUID SEPARATOR MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID SUCTION CONDUIT MEANS FORSEPARATING LIQUID FROM AIR PASSING THROUGH SAID SUCTION CONDUIT MEANS;SUCTION MEANS IN SAID SUCTION CONDUIT MEANS FOR CAUSING AIR AND LIQUIDTO FLOW THROUGH SAID SEPARATOR MEANS FROM FABRICS WITHIN SAID CONTAINER;PUMP MEANS INCLUDING AN OUTLET FOR DISCHARGING LIQUID FROM SAID FLUIDSEPARATOR MEANS; AND VENT MEANS INTERCONNECTING THE INTERIOR OF SAIDPUMP MEANS AND SAID FLUID SEPARATOR MEANS FOR VENTING FLUID FROM SAIDPUMP INTERIOR TO SAID FLUID SEPARATOR TO PRECLUDE AIR LOCKING OF SAIDPUMP MEANS.